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I found this revelation one of the most interesting of any of the “inside” views of the presidency in the last half century.

Some may find it odd that a president takes the kind of personal role that President Obama has played in these decisions. I understand that; it is not what we elected a president to do. However, what President Obama is doing is very different from when LBJ personally chose strategic targets for air strikes during Vietnam. LBJ was imposing himself in strategic military decisions, inappropriately in my view, but perhaps necessary from his own psychological point of view.

Obama, to the contrary, is not second-guessing strategic decisions. Rather he is putting a face on the individuals we are targeting. His actions reflect a moral necessity in his view; he did not want to say simply, “Get the target!” He has insisted on saying, “I understand that this is an individual life, but I also am convinced that this person intends to do harm to the United States. Thus, I am willing to order that he or she be put on a list to be targeted, not he or she as a representative of a group, but as an individual I am convinced will do great harm.”

The president seems to be able to justify the latter kind of decision, to himself. I don’t think he really cares how it plays politically - and neither should either the Republicans or the liberal Democrats.

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